Our firm is a close-knit team of artistically talented and technically skilled professionals, many of whom have worked together for more than a decade. We share a goal of promoting an environment conducive to growth, inclusivity and mutual respect for each other’s individual talents as well as collaborating to bring the full power of our collective strengths to address new challenges. The Partners and staff frequently volunteer their time outside of the office to professional organizations committed to bettering our community and bring the lessons learned through these experiences to each project.
About
Zervas
history
Zervas Architects is a privately-owned firm located in Bellingham, WA, founded in 1961. We have focused our work in Northwest Washington, specializing in education and public projects, larger commercial developments, planning and sustainable design.
Our Partners, Andrew Krzysiek, Jed Ballew and Amy Zimmerman share a commitment to meaningful design, community enrichment and technical excellence. The firm’s sustainable design practice and sensitivity to conceptual planning are a natural extension of its roots.
James Zervas
James (Jim) Zervas brought the teachings of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright to Bellingham in the early 1960’s post apprenticeship with the Taliesin Fellowship. Wright, named by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) “the greatest American architect of all time,” taught his students by way of “learning by doing.” The fellowship was known for its community-focused philosophy and hands-on approach to understanding and experiencing all aspects of a project.
The influence of Wright’s goal to “develop a well correlated, creative human being with a wide horizon but capable of effective concentration of his faculties upon the circumstance in which he lives” has had a ripple-effect on the development of Whatcom County through the work of James.
In the words of a resident of one of his designs, Zervas was “more than an architect, engineer, planner and community activist. Jim was truly a nineteenth-century humanist and intellectual, a man of global vision and skilled in many disciplines. His mind would jump from the particular to the universal in an instant and come back to address whatever issue he was studying from an incredibly broad perspective. Jim lived in Whatcom County but was a world citizen.”
Today, his efforts towards advocating for saving and creating beloved community spaces can still be appreciated all throughout Whatcom County. The Mount Baker Theatre, the continuously developing waterfront and one of the many parks overseen by the Whatcom County Parks Board- of which he once served as first chair- all serve as reminders of his civic diligence.
Since his passing in 2010, James Zervas has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the AIA.
Photo details: Jim Zervas sketching as a young architect in the 1950s (above) and an early sketch of Jim's (left).
Photo details: We believe that dialogue is the foundation of collaboration and are passionate about bringing people together through design. We build strong relationships with project collaborators and consultants and create a one-studio culture that thrives on cross-referencing of ideas.
